Another original by Shea Springer - we need your comments

[tspring]

My son Shea and his buddy Sam (aka Ante Merideum, and several previous names) have got several new songs. Go here:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=397984490

And listen to "That's Business". IT has a couple of odd twists. Shea does vocals and guitar, and Sam is on the drums.

What do you think?

T

[tantamo]

These guys sound great. It's a good song but I like some of the other ones even better. The playing and singing are flawless as is the production. The riffs and the production/sound kind of remind me of early pavement although the vocals don't.

I think your son is a great singer and songwriter. It takes me a while to really give a good listen to a myspace with this many songs but I'll check them all out.

Are you using elastique on some of these? It sounds fine I'm just wondering...some folks from the tapeop forum were getting on my case about abusing it (or autotune rather).

Great guitar and synth sounds too.

[tspring]

Thanks Tantamo. Glad you like the music -- and we look forward to getting some of your comments, especially on "That's Business". Elastique is used on some of the songs, but not all of them. People can say what they want to about using it, but IMHO, it is just another tool to get what is in my (or Shea's) head into the music. Nobody seems to object when I use a tuner to tune my guitar. My ear is very sensitive to pitch, and anything that is off drives me bats. So I love the ability to tune annoying little flubs away rather than hound folks to re-record things over and over. Anyway, I wouldn't pay too much attention to the nay-sayers on your use of elastique.

T

[spikemullings]

Hi T, Hi Shea,

Well you already know I'm a fan and I am absolutely loving this stuff.

I hate myspace though. It really doesn't click with me at all. I know it is both ubiquitous and essential but, bleugh. I look forward to picking up the album or checking out your own website when all of that comes along, as it surely will.

So a really great set of songs, nice to hear them as a set and for me, what comes of that is I realise each song has got a really great understated lyrical conceit - pocketless trousers - so simple! - so great!

So then all the songs are really nicely realised and executed. There is still the faintest whiff of the "demo" about the production. An odd vox that doesn't quite sit in here or an sticky-out backing instrument there. Hey I like all that and if the price of fixing that is losing the quirky art of the stuff, then give me the early demos every time.

Yep, I'm a fan all right. Tell me when you're touring Europe won't you? I'll be at the front with the Reaper tee-shirt on.

;)

[tspring]

Hi Spike,

We are both truly pleased that you like this stuff. Actually, I feel honored that someone with your musical backgroud will even listen, much less speak well of the recordings.

Sorry about the MySpace page, but somehow, a *real* web site has not yet materialized, and I did want to try linking to the MySpace page at least once from the Reaper forum, just to see how it worked.

I know that there are still some rough edges on the recordings that are posted on the MySpace page, but I think that Shea and Sam decided that they would rather move on to new songs than spend any more time now tweaking the recordings of this set now. They do seem to be crammed with ideas.

I think that both Shea and Sam have a way with lyrics. It is nice that you noticed, as they work pretty hard on them.

T

[Tedwood]

I'm a fan too, I like them all.

That's Business is great, interesting collection of sounds all nicely separated in a dynamic exciting package.

Soft Symphonies has a mystical quality I like. Lovely bass playing. Is that tabla I hear or some other drum, whatever it is I want one/some.

Best of all though, Brown Paper and Twine. Reminds me of Simon and Garfunkle, superb harmonies and very nice acoustic sounds, the trem electric is pretty nostalgic too. It's just such a good song though with it's optimistic and cheery acceptance of the subject matter many people would prefer to avoid.

I have a Myspace T, in fact you are doing the vocal on one of the tracks haha, I'm not that keen though, I joined Soundclick the other day and I like it a lot more already, mostly because you can watch your songs chart success or flop. I reckon Ante Meridiem prolly got some chart toppers there.

[tspring]

Ted

I can't think of anything cooler that having both you and Spike liking this stuff. And I am quite proud to be mentioned on your MySpace page.

I really appreciate the time that you have spent listening and making suggests over the many months that this music has been pieced together. While Shea has done most of the work on these, we do consult each other on our music constantly. It has been of tremendous assistance in resolving points where Shea and I didn't agree on the best way to do things.

About the drums that you heard on "Soft Symphony" -- I'm not sure if they are tablas, but they *are* some of the Indian drums that come as a standard part of the drum samples in Reason. I too think that they sound pretty cool in that song.

You can bet that I got a knot in my throat when I first heard Shea sing "Brown Paper and Twine". It pretty much reflects his approach to life. Then he recorded the harmonies, and I'm wondering where that came from, since he hadn't done anything like that before.

Soundclick has come a long way in the last year or two. When I first posted a song there it was a far cry from what I see now. As you suggest, we probably ought to set up something there too.

Thanks again Ted.

T

[user7776543]

Hey, I like it. I try really hard to like a lot of the "fresh male voices" stuff, but it almost always fails me - this did not, maybe because it's still authentic music and not LA pop masquerading as authentic youth voice music.

The vox sticks way out, maybe that's intentional, but it seems kind of almost lonely or stranded out there, I myself prefer more balance on just about everything, so something to tie it into the too-quiet (I think) musical accompaniment would be welcom - a touch of reverb, some compression, even maybe a bit of that cool wavy vibrato - just a microscopic touch, mind you, just to smooth it into the overall. Hell, I don't know what I'm talking aout, but I know what I like, and this sounds nice and fresh. (God that word's quickly becoming cliche, sorry, but it works here.)

[Sanskrit]

I just listened to "That's Business." Love the intro and the pitch/timing manipulation on the guitar, as well as the dynamic changes -always refreshing and something I really try to get happening (usually not very well) in my own stuff. The vox have a very sincere delivary to them and the lyrics are great. I admire your son's vision and his willingness to take risks. I think I've mentioned this before regarding him, but it must be very cool to have your son into the music as much as he is. Keep on rockin' Shea. Snskrt

[tspring]

Thanks for the comments USER and sanskrit. You know USER, you are right about the vox. It is pretty far out front. We might do one final mix and pull it back a little.

USER, I especially appreciate your comments on Shea's vocals. Several people (on this and other forums) have commented that they like Shea's voice. Up until recently we never thought of Shea as a singer, as we was mainly into playing guitar, writing, and arranging. One thing for sure, he detests anything that doesn't ring sincere. Maybe that is the secret.

Sanskrit, I'm glad that you picked up on the risk taking angle. Shea always tries to put something in to a songs to tweak the listener with something he/she doesn't expect. For my part, I usually push him to make sure that it contributes to the song, and just isn't a weird part that is there for the sake of being weird. He usually gets it to work, but "Thats Business" was one of the songs where I wasn't sure about how some parts would appeal to others -- in particular, the wonky guitar part that you liked. So, I guess my doubts were unfounded. Anyway thanks to both of you guys for taking the time to listen and comment. Shea hasn't got internet connectivity at the moment (he just went back to University of Cincinnatti) but he will be will be pleased to see your comments when he can get online.

T

[thequietroom]

Wow, very cool stuff, I don't normally listen this this kind of music, yet before I knew I had listened to all the tunes without realizing it. just pulls ya in. Extremely well written.

[tspring]

Thanks, quietroom. Shea and I both get a kick out of it when Reaperites seem to like his music.

T

[Tallisman]

I am gonna pass this on to my little brother as I think it would be right up his alley.

Me I really dig it. The originality of it; the sound; the mix. great stuff.

.t

[tspring]

Tallisman, thanks for listening. It is particularly encouraging that you find the music to have some originality. Shea lives to be creative and original. It truly is the core of his existence. When he is not doing music, he does industrial design (senior at University of Cincinnatti). So all day of every day of his life is filled with creating new things. But with music, it is so hard to know if he has managed to be original without drifting into cheesyness/taking self too seriously/inaccessibility/etc. I don't trust myself to judge, because I'm too close to the music. That's one reason I like this forum so much. There's lots to learn from other people's opinions.

So, many thanks, and let us know what your brother thinks about the music.

T

[Sheppola]

Get a free Reverbnation page/account.Way better streaming quality than mycrushingsoundspace<grin> and easy to ,"Widget" to myspace :)

Drums sound crushed but that's most likely Myspace.

[ScalerWave]

"That's Business"

I thought the drums sounded great. Everything sounds nice and clear.

Nice full bass tone.

I didn't really get the little sound effect in the dead air breaks.

The chorus parts need some work mix-wise IMO.

The vox seem to take back stage to the guitar which really overpowers them.

Not sure if this is the style they are shooting for or not though.

I'd like to hear more air in the lead vocal. A little more breathy would be good I think.

SW